Silent Tears
by Envioussnake
Summary: SPOILERS for chapter 70 of the manga and episode 37 of Brotherhood. What happened after Riza hung up the phone on her "friendly neighborhood florist." Royai.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Silent Tears**

**Type: Oneshot (1/2)**

**Pairings/Characters: Royai**

**DISCLAMER: I own nothing other than the fanfiction itself**

**Summary: SPOILERS for chapter 70 of the manga and episode 37 of Brotherhood. What happened after Riza hung up the phone on her "friendly neighborhood florist." Royai.**

She had always been fragile, made of porcelain. Ever since he had first met her, she had been untouchable, as though even a brush of his fingertips could splinter her into a million pieces. As she grew up, she encased herself in steel and iron - becoming stronger on the outside, impenetrable almost, but he knew that, underneath it all, she was still that fragile, untouchable thing. Nothing could break through her shell, crack the wall that she had so meticulously wrapped herself up in.

At least, that was what he thought.

Now he realized that it was possible for even the strongest resolve to crumble, if only one repeatedly pounded upon the right spot.

Roy had found her sitting upon her hardwood floor, knees pulled to her chest and her arms wrapped around them as if it would keep her fears away. He had known her voice wasn't right when she had spoken to him on the phone - something was wrong, and he could see it clearly for himself now.

"Riza."

She jumped, but not to pull her gun. Instead she fell backwards, catching herself with her hands. She looked up at him with wide eyes, nothing less than terror shining in their depths. He was reminded of a small animal about to run from a predator. This was not the Riza he knew. Something had shaken her to her very core; something had broken down her wall completely against her will.

"Roy..." Riza choked out, her voice a tremor but filled with relieved recognition. Her heart felt like it was going to burst out of her chest from the scare she had experienced. She didn't move as Roy knelt down beside her, but she flinched when he moved his hand towards her face.

Roy's hand hesitated at the movement, and he felt an all too familiar painful shot through his core as she moved from him. However, he placed his hand on her cheek and ran his thumb lightly over the scratch on her cheekbone. "What happened to you?"

He heard a low growling and looked to see Black Hayate standing in the junction between the living room and the hall. His fur stood on end and he glared at Roy, undoubtedly able to feel the fear pouring off of his master. The dog seemed to hesitate as he recognized Roy, and stopped growling. He walked forward to Roy and took his hand in his mouth, barely applying pressure with his teeth and emitting a small growl. The message was clear - Roy was a friend, but if he hurt his master he would pay. Black Hayate was an incredibly intelligent animal, but even he was unable to clearly pinpoint the source of Riza's distress.

"Easy, boy." Roy removed Hayate's jaws from his hand and scratched him on his head reassuringly. Hayate seemed pleased with the gesture, for he made no further objection when Roy turned his attention back to Riza. "What happened?" He asked again.

Riza averted her eyes from him, remaining silent.

Roy knew from experience that when Riza decided not to talk, there was no budging her. He sighed and moved his hand from her face. "Get your coat." He told her, rising to his feet. Riza stared up at him from the ground, clearly confused in her unusually frightened state. "I am not letting you stay here by yourself – not when you are like this. So get your coat." He reiterated, grabbing the leash off the small table by the door and hooking it to Hayate's collar.

Riza obeyed him without a word, moving almost mechanically. She kept casting nervous glances about the room wherever shadows lay, which only resurfaced Roy's worry and suspicion. She pulled on her coat and walked over to him, that distant look still in her eyes – God, how he hated that look. It scared him more than words could express. Without thinking, he reached out and grabbed her, pulling her against his chest. He wanted nothing more than to be able to take whatever was plaguing her upon himself; he wished she would share her burdens with him instead of hiding them away, pretending as though he couldn't see her pain when it was written clearly upon her face.

Riza didn't fight him like he thought she would - instead she seemed to welcome his embrace, wrapping her arms about him in return. She buried her face in the side of his neck, and he could feel her silent tears dampening the collar of his shirt. It wasn't that she was trying to be strong; she never sobbed aloud. If she had, Roy would have been terrified for her mental sanity. He had no idea how long they stood like that, wrapped in each other's embrace, because, for him, all time had stopped until Riza pulled back from him.

Roy lifted one ungloved hand and wiped the glistening trail of a tear from her cheek. He smiled softly at her and asked "So, how about those flowers?"

**A/N: Rate and Review – it makes me happy :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: Silent Tears**

**Type: Oneshot (2/2)**

**Pairings/Characters: Royai**

**DISCLAMER: I own nothing other than the fanfiction itself**

**Summary: SPOILERS for chapter 70 of the manga and episode 37 of Brotherhood. What happened after Riza hung up the phone on her "friendly neighborhood florist." Royai.**

**A/N: Check out Chapter 4 of Pictures of the Past and see if you can find the connection between it and Silent Tears ;)**

"I'm not going… I can't."

"You have to. You don't have a choice."

"Yes, I do, dammit, and I'm not moving."

Roy let out an exhausted sigh, looking at Riza as she sat across the room in his favorite chair. He was clad in his work pants whereas she was still wrapped in a blanket, perfectly content in her pajamas. She refused to make eye contact with him as he spoke to her. She always had been a stubborn one. "Riza, listen to me. You have to go in to work. If you don't, they'll get suspicious and probably come after you. If you report like usual, even a little shaken, that will just make them happy – at least for now; they want you upset and you know it."

"I'm weak." Riza murmured.

"What?" Roy asked, not because he couldn't hear her but because he couldn't hear her words.

"I'm weak. To me, crying is the ultimate sign of weakness – I've been doing a lot of it lately, and I'm not proud of it." She still refused to make eye contact with him. "I've gotten soft… I'm afraid they're going to eat me alive." Riza let out a small, cynical laugh. "Listen to me – I just admitted I'm afraid. God, I'm losing it."

"Dammit, Riza, why won't you listen to me?" Roy said, crossing the room in only a few strides and grabbing her by the shoulders. "It's okay to feel weak – that's what makes us human. Tears and fear are just a part of life. Why won't you accept that?"

"Because, Roy." Riza said, turning her head to pierce him with her hazel gaze. "Because I don't have that luxury. I never have. There's no room for self-pity in my life. The last time… when I thought I'd lost you… that's the first time I can remember crying since my mother died – out of emotion, anyway…"

Roy winced, remembering all too clearly the tears that had streamed down her cheeks as he had destroyed the intricate tattoo on her back, marring the perfect skin. She had screamed so loud… He was brought back once more to the present by the sound of her voice.

"My father drilled it into my head over and over again that things such as that were a sign of weakness, that there was no room for them in life if one wanted to do anything with their lives-"

"That man was cold and distant. You can't compare him to normal people."

"That may be true, Roy, but he was still my father. Like it or not he did have at least some influence over me." Riza muttered, glancing away and shaking her head. "God knows I don't like it. But it's just a part of who I am… I can't get rid of it so easily. And besides, if I wasn't strong then I wouldn't be where I am now."

"You are strong, Riza, but not because of your reluctance to feel weak. You are strong because of who you are and what you have done, what you continue to do. Know that, and don't let yourself fall into the same false sense of security your father had by blocking people out. It's okay to cry, to feel fear; you may not like it - hell, no one does, but others can help you. Others that care about you."

"They'll think I'm weak, too."

Roy pulled her to his chest, holding her close. "I'll never think you're weak. Trust me, you're the strongest person I've ever known, and the fact that you can allow yourself to cry makes you even stronger. All I ask is that you come back from your lapses into fear stronger than you were before – I know you won't let it destroy you."

"No." Riza said, smiling softly into his shoulder. "I have too much to live for to do that."

**A/N: I tried to give this story a little bit of closure in the end, and this is what came of it. It's rare for me to write anything without a little bit of humor, so this is a bit unusual for me. However, I am extremely happy you all liked it.**

**Rate and Review – it makes me a happy writer :)**


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